Counterpoint publisher Charlie Winton announced yesterday that Denise Oswald has been hired as editorial director of Soft Skull Press and senior editor of Counterpoint. She succeeds Richard Nash, who resigned in late February and whose last day at the press was March 10.
“We are very excited about having Denise take the helm at Soft Skull,” said Winton in a press release. “She has a distinguished track record and the perfect background for continuing to make Soft Skull one of the most interesting and dynamic voices in independent publishing. We are confident that she will be able to add an important dimension to the Counterpoint list as well.”
Oswald, who begins work at Soft Skull’s New York City office on April 20, spent almost a decade as a senior editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. There, she oversaw the Faber and Faber list, working with writers such as Anne Carson, Courtney Love, Billy Corgan, and Colin Beavan. Her authors included national and regional bestsellers as well as Pulitzer, PEN, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences award winners.
Oswald says she has “long admired Soft Skull’s grit and verve as a publisher” and is looking forward to the job ahead. “I think these challenging economic times will prove an exciting moment for independent publishers, who are often more accustomed to and comfortable with the need for creative thinking and fast action.”
